The purpose of this website is to provide users with information on how to workout, achieve their goals, and MOST importantly to maintain what they worked so hard to achieve.
[caption id="attachment_54" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Is this what you signed up for?"]
[/caption]This idea came to me while on Christmas vacation at my parents. I went with them to their local "Mega Gym" to get my workout in, and in an ad on a huge white marker board sign they wrote, "Did you know? Only 5% of people keep weight off long term! Set up your nutrition coaching today!" The sign was completely appalling, it says after you pay us a lot to achieve your goals here, we will watch 95% of you fail and do nothing about it unless you pay us a lot more ($75/hour at this gym to be exact and that's just the nutrition coaching double that if you want a trainer too!) will we show you how to do it correctly. Maybe this is the norm but it shouldn't be since a gym or fitness center, such as the one I am talking about, will sell you a gym membership using your expectation of getting a certain result. They should then also show you how to succeed or at least tell you the statistics upfront, shouldn't they? This is what I aim to do.
Have you ever walked into the gym and then asked yourself, "What should I do today?" Goal setting is the key to starting off on the right foot. Before you even get to the gym you really need to ask yourself this question: What are my goals? You need to answer this very specifically if you want to know how to workout correctly. The first mistake people make when entering the gym is going straight to the workout without a goal other than to be there, unfortunately, it instantly pushes you toward the all to common gym cycle of doing all that work for no gain in the end. Your goal can be as simple as I want to look better, I want better general fitness, I want to be healthier, I want to be more athletic, I want to feel better physically or mentally, etc. Though simple sounding, the processes behind these goals are not simple and you will need to understand them to be successful. They can also be very specific such as focusing on a single sport or activity you want to excel at. But in this case you aren't there to do the sport, you are there to make yourself better at it. So keep in mind, bodybuilding and power lifting are sports and are in the sports fitness category, you don't go to the gym and body build or power lift you go there to get better at them. The point is decide why you are working out, then discover how to workout.
If you asking yourself how to workout, you need ask someone or find a credible information source, preferably they are one and the same. This is another common area of misstep for the average gym goer. More than likely you should not be asking your buddy who is a "gym rat" what you should be doing to workout. Only do this if he is educated in the matter and/or proven that he can achieve and sustain the same goal you have. More than likely your friend who works out a lot has different goals than you i.e. your goal is sustained weight loss and your friends is to get stronger, and it is something that needs acknowledging because in this scenario their advice would not help you even if it is correct. Lets say for the sake of the argument though you and your buddy have the same goals, now you need to do a little digging. What is the theory and method behind their workouts; how does it work physiologically. If they can't tell you, its a red flag, look somewhere else. Ask them how they decided what workouts to do, if they say they just make stuff up, don't really have a plan, they just do what they feel like, or they do the same workouts day to day or week to week, its another red flag, go elsewhere. If they get injured frequently, red flag. If you workout with them and they aren't actively helping you to correct form and explain why to you, again red flag. You get the drift.
If you ask someone and they can give you educated answers, different workouts every day, the workouts don't repeat for months, and they can show you the theory behind creating your own workouts then this is the person you want helping you. You need variation in working out to help you stay interested in the beginning but it goes deeper than that. You need variation to work out your muscle groups differently so that you don't develop muscle imbalances. If you decide to hire a trainer, don't just let someone train you because they are certified or a "personal trainer" which can be anything. Look up their certifications as well as question them. ASCM is usually a good sign, as it requires a four year degree to get but does not automatically mean someone is good. How many people graduate college without learning anything? A lot right. Some certifications only take a weekend course to achieve so the don't much weight without some other evidence backing them up. So make sure you are happy with how your trainer represents themselves. That being said, some of the best people to seek advice from are not trainers, as mentioned earlier, if you find or know someone who has achieved and sustained your workout goal then its highly probably that they can help you get there too! Don't be afraid to ask! Knowledgeable people are generally willing to share their knowledge because someone shared it with them. In my opinion you will get your best advice from someone who is living what you want to achieve, trainer or not, certifications or not. To sum it all up look for someone who has some sort of proof they know how to workout in a way that can help you accomplish your goal and don't forget about nutrition, whatever your goals understanding it will help you achieve them.
How To Workout
